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Fall 2011 Dean's List

The following students have achieved Dean's List status for Fall 2012. Each semester, recognition is given to full-time students who have achieved academic excellence by inclusion on the Dean's List. To qualify for the Dean's List, a student must: successfully complete 12 or more letter-graded credits in one semester, and earn a minimum grade point average of 3.0 or better for the semester credits.

Nick Albano
Jeff Buchert
LeVaughtne Calhoun
Matt DuBois
Isaac Fruechte
Jared Gilbertson
Dalton Haas
BJ Hendrix
Jordan Huberty
Alex Johnson
Paul Jones
Dongwoo Kim
Zim Kratochvil
Travis Kruckow
Cody Lodermeier
Rob Mackesey
Justin Puetz
Austin Reider
Scott Sanborn (Equipment Manager)
Brandon Savage
David Schotanus
Cotorey Seals
Morse Sims

Congratulations!

Fruechte excited to catch on as juco recruit for Gophers

Isaac Fruechte was barely a year old the first time he wore a Gophers jersey, a pint-sized replica that his parents put him in for baby pictures. Now he'll get to wear the real thing.

Fruechte, a wide receiver from Caledonia in the southeast corner of the state, formally accepted a scholarship to Minnesota by faxing in his letter-of-intent Wednesday morning, making him part of a team he'd dreamed of joining "for a real long time, probably since I was 5."

Four other junior-college athletes also signed their commitments on Wednesday, the first wave of reinforcements for coach Jerry Kill's 3-9 Gophers. Along with Fruechte, who spent a season playing for Rochester Community Technical College, Kill received letters from three defensive backs and a tailback: Jeremy Baltazar, a cornerback from Blinn (Texas) Community College; Briean Boddy, who played cornerback at Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College; Martez Shabazz, a cornerback at Trinity Valley (Texas); and Mississippi Gulf Coast tailback James Gillum, who gained more than 2,200 yards over two seasons.

All five will be on campus, along with a handful of early-graduating high school recruits, when winter semester begins next month, and will take part in spring practices in March.

"I wish we didn't have winter break, I want to get up there so bad," Fruechte said.

No wonder. He's waited almost two years already.

Originally recruited as a walk-on by Tim Brewster two years ago, Fruechte attended RCTC instead while getting his test scores up. He caught 25 passes, 10 of them for touchdowns, for the Yellowjackets, while picking up 890 yards. That -- and a 4.38-second timing in the 40-yard dash -- got the attention of Kill, who met with the 6-3 receiver and his father, Caledonia coach Carl Fruechte, soon after he was hired.

When Fruechte offered to redshirt during the 2011 season while finishing his associate degree, Kill was sold. The junior-college transfer, who spent the season working out with his old team and dabbling in some informal coaching on game days, will have three seasons to play with the Gophers, rather than the usual two. (Same goes for Boddy, who is leaving Coffeyville after only one season.)

"I told him from Day One, I'd be willing to do anything he asks. Special teams, offense, anything," Fruechte said. "I've always been proud of where I'm from. It means a lot to me to play for Minnesota."

Posted by Star Tribune - Updated December 21, 2011 - 8:39 p.m.

2011 MCAC All-Division Team

MCAC All-DIVISION FIRST TEAM:

Caleb Leichtnam - FS 6’0” 177 Grand Meadow (MN) FR
Kramer Berg - QB 6’2” 215 Wayzata (MN) SO
Kevin Klocek - LB 6’4” 213 NRHEG (MN) SO
BJ Hendrix - CB 5’10” 185 O’Fallon (IL) FR
Johnathan Green - DL 6’0” 271 Milwaukee (WI) FR
Jeff Buchert - SS 6’2 212 Plainfield (CT) SO
Ricky Johnson - OL 6’0” 261 Rochester-JM (MN) FR

TOP PUNTER/KICKER:
Tyler Daake - P/K 6’0” 206 Norfolk (NE) SO

MCAC All-DIVISION SECOND TEAM:

Tyler Miles - CB 6’0” 183 Lovejoy (GA) SO
Robby Mackesey - DE 6’3” 215 Cottage Grove (WI) FR
Zach Hoppenworth-Pederson - WR 6’6” 197 LaCrescent (MN) FR
Nick Albano - LB 6’1” 230 Farmington (MN) FR
David Schotanus - RB 6’0” 223 Southland-Adams (MN) SO

MCAC All-DIVISION HONORABLE MENTION:

LaQuintin Yancey - LB 5’11” 202 Jonesboro (GA) FR
Dontrell Woods - OL 5’10” 334 Black Jack (MO) FR
Alex Benson - WR 6’1” 180 Rochester (MN) SO
Abe Allen - TE 6’3” 222 Rochester (MN) SO
Peterson Jean-Pierre - OL 6’0” 272 Miami (FL) SO

Players of the Week

Week 1: Kramer Berg was named MCAC Offensive Player of the Week

Week 2: Caleb Leichtnam was named MCAC Defensive Player of the Week
Tyler Daake was named MCAC Special Teams Player of the Week
Caleb Leichtnam was named NJCAA National Defensive Player of the Week

Week 3: Caleb Leichtnam was named MCAC Defensive Player of the Week
Tyler Daake was named MCAC Special Teams Player of the Week

Week 5: Caleb Leichtnam and BJ Hendrix were named MCAC Co-Defensive Players of the Week
Tyler Daake was named MCAC Special Teams Player of the Week
Caleb Leichtnam was named the NJCAA Player of the Week

Week 6: Kramer Berg, QB, was named MCAC South Division Offensive Player of the Week

Week 7: Kramer Berg, QB, was named MCAC South Division Offensive Player of the Week

Week 8: Kramer Berg, QB, was named MCAC South Division Offensive Player of the Week
Tyler Daake was named MCAC South Division Special Teams Player of the Week

Week 9: Kramer Berg, QB, was named MCAC South Division Offensive Player of the Week
Jay Peoples was named MCAC South Division Special Teams Player of the Week

Way to go Jackets!!

Congratulations to Caleb Leichtnam - 2011 NJCAA Defensive Player of the Year!!!!

Click http://njcaa.org/newsArticle.cfm?articleId=15945 for story. Great job, Caleb!!!

December 12, 2011

Congratulations to Caleb Leichtnam and Kramer Berg!!!

Caleb was named to the NJCAA First-Team All-American defensive squad and Kramer was named to the NJCAA Honorable Mention All-American offensive squad.

Caleb also set a new NJCAA single-season record for interceptions with 20 picks, including two he returned for touchdowns. The freshman from Grand Meadow, MN, had two or more interceptions in seven contests, and three or more picks in three of those games.

See the 2011 NJCAA football All-Conference teams here: http://www.njcaa.org/Teams/football/2011/2011_Football_All-Americans.pdf

Football Yellowjackets to Play Iowa Western Community College in the Graphic Edge Bowl

The Rochester Community and Technical College Yellowjackets have accepted a bowl invitation to the Graphic Edge Bowl to play in the feature game on Sunday, November 20 at 3:00 pm at the Uni-Dome on the University of Northern Iowa campus in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Derrick Hintz’s Yellowjackets (11-0) will play Scott Strohmeier’s Iowa Western Reivers (8-2) from Council Bluffs, IA. RCTC is ranked 10^th and Iowa Western 11^th in the most recent NJCAA polls.

RCTC repeated as Minnesota College Athletic Conference (MCAC) football champions with a 45-14 victory over the Northland Pioneers this past Saturday. The teams last bowl appearance was the 2010 North Star Bowl.

Ticket and fan bus information will be announced shortly.

RCTC repeats as state football champions - Story and pictures from Rochester Post Bulletin, November 6, 2011, 10:08 pm

ST. CLOUD — The defense set the tone and the offense finished the job. And as a result the Rochester Community and Technical College football team is again Minnesota College Athletic Conference state champions.

The Yellowjackets defended their state junior college football title with a 45-14 victory over Northland on Sunday at St. Cloud State University.

"Again, another step for the program," RCTC coach Derrick Hintz said. "We won the South, we won state and now we're looking for a bowl game."

Sophomore quarterback Kramer Berg continued his stellar late-season run by completing 18 of 33 passes for 324 yards and four touchdowns. It marked the third straight game Berg has passed for more than 300 yards and he has also thrown 12 TD passes in that span and 28 for the season.

MCAC All Academic Award Winners

Brandon Savage
Josh LaPlante
Kevin Klocek
T.J. Klemm
Dongwoo Kim
Ross Grobe
Jeff Buchert
Alex Benson
David Schotanus
Cotorey Seals

NJCAA All Americans for 2010 Season

http://www.njcaa.org/newsArticle.cfm?articleId=13022

RCTC football finishes year ranked #17 in the NJCAA Polls

http://www.njcaa.org/sports_polls.cfm?category=Polls&sid=11&divid=0&slid=5

Former Yellowjackets Playing in the Mineral Water Bowl

http://www.mineralwaterbowl.net/

Yellowjackets invited to North Star Bowl vs. Iowa Central

Jackets Win 2010 State Title

Jacket Punch Ticket to MCAC State Title Game 10/31/2010

RCTC Defeats Mesabi

10/2/2010 9:12:45 PM

By Guy N. Limbeck
The Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN

Rochester Community and Technical College got just what it needed Saturday -- a rebound victory.

After suffering its first loss a week ago, the Yellowjackets defeated Mesabi Range 28-12 at home in junior college football.

Yellowjackets quarterback Derick Heitkamp threw three touchdown passes on a windy day and RCTC used a strong defensive effort to hand Mesabi (4-2) its second loss.

"We got back on the winning track against a team that already had four wins," RCTC coach Brad LaPlante said. "We played with a lot of fire and enthusiasm."

RCTC (5-1) suffered a 28-21 loss to Central Lakes last week. On Saturday, the Yellowjackets defense limited Mesabi to one touchdown and 241 total yards.

"It was really good," RCTC defensive back Alex Benson said of the win. "We were really focused this week after our loss."

Benson picked off a pair of passes in the second half and now has a state-best seven interceptions this season.

"That was the main emphasis, to see what we're made of, how you bounce back after something like that," Heitkamp said.

Full Story

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RCTC Football Team Rolls Past Vermilion

By Guy N. Limbeck
The Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN

ELY — Dominique Parks rushed for 150 yards and three touchdowns as Rochester Community and Technical College rolled past Vermilion 42-7 on Saturday in junior college football.

The win moves the Yellowjackets to 2-0 while Vermilion drops to 0-2.

Derick Heitkamp and Chris Hicks provided the biggest play of the day. Hicks, who sat out the season opener with an injury, hauled in a 95-yard scoring pass from Heitkamp in the second quarter. Hicks was an All-American a year ago and he had a 96-yard TD catch during the season.

Heitkamp was 6-for-14 for 191 yards. He threw two touchdown passes, both to Hicks. Hicks finished with three catches for 132 yards, all in the first half.

Full Story

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RCTC Football games are played on this link CCTV (Chatfield, MN). You will have to look for MCAC Football: Rochester vs: ________. Thank you for watching our games!

Congrats to current and former Yellowjackets for making the Spring 2010 Dean’s List:

Alex Benson
Robert Butler
Aaron Burt
Levaughnte Calhoun
Sam Cole
Joshua Fenderson
Ross Grobe
Jake Hamlin
Mike Iyobhebhe
Brian Kalwasinski
Josh LaPlante
Fred Ominde
Cotorey Seals
Derek Skovbroten

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Former RCTC Yellowjacket and Minnesota Gophers Kicker Rhys Lloyd signed by Minnesota Vikings

March 9, 2010

Broken link to article has been removed...

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Ominde Signs With North Carolina Central University

February 4, 2010

http://nccueaglepride.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/nccu-m-footbl-body.html

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Kicker Mike Kusnierz signs with University of Northern Iowa

http://www.rctc.edu/s/kusnierz

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2009 NJCAA Football All-Americans Released

December 14, 2009

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The NJCAA is proud to announce the 2009 Football All-American teams. Highlighting this year's list of honorees are two-time All-Americans Randall Mackey (QB) of East Mississippi, Michael Kusnierz (K) of Rochester CTC, Minn., Tirrell Rennie (QB) and Quintin Robinson (WR) of Ellsworth, Iowa, and Curtis Weatherspoon (LB) of Dean, Mass.

NOTE: Players must have been nominated by their respective college and must have been an All-Conference selection in order to be considered. NJCAA conference's submitted a final ranking of players for All-America consideration to the Chair of the NJCAA Football Committee for use in final All-American selection process.

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2009 NJCAA Football All-Americans

http://www.njcaa.org/Teams/football/2009/09_Football_AA.pdf

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Coffeyville overpowers RCTC in North Star Bowl:

http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=22&a=426526

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Here is the latest JCGridiron.com Dirty 30 national JUCO rankings for the week of November 16, 2009. Please distribute liberally to your local media and best of luck this coming weekend. You can also read the entire story at the following link. http://jcgridiron.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1016841

JCGridiron.com Dirty 30 (November 16, 2009)
1. Fort Scott (KS) 10-0
2. Mt. SAC (Calif.) 9-1
3. East Mississippi 10-1
4. Bakersfield (Calif.) 9-1
5. Blinn (TX) 9-1
6. Fullerton (Calif.) 9-1
7. Navarro (TX) 10-1
8. San Mateo (Calif.) 9-1
9. City College of San Francisco (Calif.) 9-1
10. Grand Rapids (MI) 9-0
11. Allan Hancock (Calif.) 9-1
12. Cerritos (Calif.) 9-1
13. Mississippi Gulf Coast 9-2
14. Arizona Western 9-1
15. Palomar (Calif.) 8-2
16. Butler (KS) 7-3
17. El Camino (Calif.) 8-2
18. Saddleback (Calif.) 8-2
19. Ellsworth (IA) 8-2
20. Ventura (Calif.) 7-3
21. Jones County (MS) 6-4
22. Tyler (TX) 7-3
23. Snow (UT) 9-2
24. Foothill (Calif.) 7-3
25. Grossmont (Calif.) 7-3
26. Los Angeles Harbor (Calif.) 9-1
27. Central Lakes (MN) 10-1
28. Rochester (MN) 10-1
29. Butte (Calif.) 7-3
30. Copiah-Lincoln (MS) 6-3

Others on the bubble: Eastern Arizona 7-3, Canyons (Calif.) 6-4, Coffeyville (KS) 5-4, New Mexico Military 5-3, Fresno City (Calif.) 6-4, Laney (Calif.) 8-2, Dean (MA) 5-1, Santa Rosa (Calif.) 5-5, Kilgore (TX) 4-6, Reedley (Calif.) 6-4

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JCGridiron.com Dirty 30 (November 2, 2009)
1. Navarro (TX) 9-0
2. Fort Scott (KS) 8-0
3. Mt. SAC (Calif.) 7-1
4. Mississippi Gulf Coast 9-1
5. El Camino (Calif.) 7-1
6. East Mississippi 9-1
7. Bakersfield (Calif.) 8-1
8. Blinn (TX) 7-1
9. Fullerton (Calif.) 7-1
10. Cerritos (Calif.) 8-0
11. City College of San Francisco (Calif.) 7-1
12. Grossmont (Calif.) 7-1
13. Grand Rapids (MI) 8-0
14. Allan Hancock (Calif.) 8-1
15. Butler (KS) 6-2
16. Foothill (Calif.) 7-1
17. Los Angeles Harbor (Calif.) 8-0
18. Palomar (Calif.) 7-2
19. Arizona Western 7-1
20. Rochester (MN) 10-0
21. San Mateo (Calif.) 7-1
22. Snow (UT) 9-1
23. Ventura (Calif.) 6-2
24. Ellsworth (IA) 7-2
25. Eastern Arizona 6-2
26. Tyler (TX) 7-2
27. Saddleback (Calif.) 7-2
28. Butte (Calif.) 6-2
29. Reedley (Calif.) 5-3
30. Jones County (MS) 6-4

Others on the bubble: Santa Rosa (Calif.) 5-3, Copiah-Lincoln (MS) 6-3, San Joaquin Delta (Calif.) 5-3, Canyons (Calif.) 5-3, Los Angeles Pierce (Calif.) 6-2, Coffeyville (KS) 5-3, New Mexico Military 4-3, Hutchinson (KS) 5-3, Central Lakes (MN) 9-1, Dean (MA) 4-1

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The preview and post game articles for Fergus and post game article for Ridgewater:

http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=22&a=421594
http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=22&a=420475
http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=22&a=420159

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JCGridiron.com Dirty 30 (October 19, 2009)
1. El Camino (Calif.) 7-0
2. City College of San Francisco (Calif.) 6-0
3. Blinn (TX) 6-0
4. Navarro (TX) 7-0
5. Fort Scott (KS) 7-0
6. Mississippi Gulf Coast 7-1
7. Butler (KS) 5-1
8. Butte (Calif.) 5-1
9. Mt. SAC (Calif.) 5-1
10. East Mississippi 7-1
11. San Mateo (Calif.) 6-0
12. Bakersfield (Calif.) 6-1
13. Fullerton (Calif.) 5-1
14. Grossmont (Calif.) 6-1
15. Palomar (Calif.) 6-1
16. Cerritos (Calif.) 6-0
17. Grand Rapids (MI) 6-0
18. Saddleback (Calif.) 6-1
19. Los Angeles Harbor (Calif.) 6-0
20. Allan Hancock (Calif.) 6-1
21. Fresno City (Calif.) 4-2
22. Arizona Western 5-1
23. American River (Calif.) 5-1
24. Canyons (Calif.) 5-2
25. Rochester (MN) 8-0
26. Ventura (Calif.) 5-1
27. Jones County (MS) 6-2
28. Snow (UT) 7-1
29. Ellsworth (IA) 5-2
30. Dean (MA) 3-0

Others on the bubble: Eastern Arizona 4-2, Orange Coast (Calif.) 5-1, Tyler (TX) 5-2, Foothill (Calif.) 4-1, Copiah-Lincoln (MS) 5-3, Santa Rosa (Calif.) 4-2, New Mexico Military 3-2, Modesto (Calif.) 4-2, Sequoias (Calif.) 4-2, San Joaquin Delta (Calif.) 4-2

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Walk to School Event - 10-7-09
Thanks to the following RCTC Athletes who participated in the Olmsted County Walk to School event on October 7, 2009 at Ben Franklin and Bamber Valley elementary schools: Todd Turner; Matt Devereux; Alonzo Jackson; Ryan Deloach; Chioke Burnett; Fred Ominde; Mike Harley; Nikki Borkhuis; Heather Hodnett; Ashley Harles; Capreice Ogris; Jordan Vavra and Emily Dosmann. The kids were excited to have the athletes walk with them around the playground and toss footballs. Special thanks to Coach Hucke & LaPlante - what a great group of athletes!! Thanks also to Colleen Landherr-Maddox for her help organizing the event. You all do RCTC proud!

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9-28-09

RCTC’s men’s football team won their homecoming game 27-6 Saturday, Sept. 26, against the previously undefeated Central Lakes Raiders, bringing the Yellowjackets’ record to 5-0. Going into the game, RCTC was ranked 16th, while Central Lakes was ranked 20th.

The defense played with intensity, causing four turnovers and holding the Raiders to just one touchdown.
While penalties dogged the ‘Jackets throughout the game, they were able to move the ball well both on the ground and through the air. Running back Curtis Perry got things rolling for the ‘Jackets in the second quarter when he ran for a 20-yard touchdown, putting them up 7-0.

To complement the running game, quarterback Carey Poarch threw for two touchdowns, one each to wide receivers Chris Hicks and Anthony Theisen.

The season has “gone just as expected,” said offensive lineman Tyler Stehr, “Everyone expects us to win, and that’s what we need to do.”

The team’s stats, according to njcaa.org, through the first four games have been impressive, with the defense being the strongpoint for the Yellowjackets this year. Run defense has been pivotal, holding opponents to an average of 56 yards per game, and a scant 1.4 yards per carry.

“The defensive line has been solid. It’s done a great job not letting people run the ball; it’s been making teams one dimensional,” said Head Coach Brad LaPlante.

The team has also played solidly against the pass, giving up only 154 yards per game. Through the first five games, the ‘Jackets have intercepted seven passes, with defensive back Bruce Kelley’s two picks leading the team.

On the other side of the ball, the Yellowjackets are playing consistently. The team has averaged 159 rushing yards per game and 171 yards through the air.

Quarterback Carey Poarch has completed 64 percent of his passes and thrown for 640 yards, with nine touchdowns and only one interception.

Poarch’s favorite target, wide receiver Chris Hicks, is also having an impressive year. He leads the team with 15 receptions, 398 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. “Carey and I have a good connection,” said Hicks, who has close to a 100 yards per game receiving average. Hicks’ longest play this season was a 96-yard touchdown against the Fond Du Lac Thunder.

RCTC boasts five different running backs with at least 20 carries, while Jerry Brewer, Jr. leads the team in yards per carry with 6.0. Robert Ricks, meanwhile, leads the team in total rushing yards with 152 racked up so far.

“The offense is a cohesive unit; not turning the ball over much puts less pressure on our defense,” said LaPlante. “If we are going to improve, we just have to be more consistent and have less three-and-outs.”
Playing as a team has been a crucial element to the team’s success this year. “This season is going very well, best team chemistry I have ever been a part of,” said defensive back Joe Ellis, “We all hang out and love being around each other.”

Looking ahead to the rest of the year, RCTC plays two more games at home and two on the road. “We need to play with confidence, know that every opponent is out to get you; consistency is key,” said LaPlante. “We need to play Yellowjacket football and never give up,” said Stehr. “Need to come out and play smash mouth football.”

RCTC’s next game will be on the road against Mesabi Range Norsemen (4-1) Saturday at 2 p.m.

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Here is the latest JCGridiron.com Dirty 30 rankings through last weekend. The full story can be read at JCGridiron.com. http://jcgridiron.rivals.com/

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Post Bulletin FB articles:

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Here is the latest JCGridiron.com Dirty 30 rankings through last weekend. The full story can be read at JCGridiron.com. http://jcgridiron.rivals.com/

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Just a quick note, The BUZZ of the Yellowjackets has hit our home town. There was a great article in the local paper this morning, on Carey and the Yellowjackets. See:
http://www.hcnonline.com/articles/2009/09/23/conroe_courier/sports/poarch_924.txt

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By Guy N. Limbeck

Carey Poarch and Chris Hicks are developing a nice case of chemistry on the football field.

The quarterback and wide receiver for Rochester Community and Technical College have been virtually unstoppable the past two games.

The pair was clicking in fine form on Saturday at RCTC used a lightning-quick start to bolt past Fond du Lac 31-9 on at Rochester Regional Sports Stadium.

Poarch, who sat out the second half with back spasms, did nearly all of his damage in the first quarter when he was 7-for-8 for 251 yards and all three TDs. Two of those scoring passes went to Hicks and both were spectacular plays.

On RCTC’s second drive, Poarch lofted a pass to Hicks and the 6-foot-2 receiver snared the ball with one hand and stepped into the end zone to complete a 29-yard score.

“Chris is an athlete. I have a lot of confidence in him,” Poarch said. “If I’m in trouble, Chris can bail me out. I know I can throw it up to him.”

On the Yellowjackets’ next offensive play, Hicks and Poarch went into the RCTC record book. The Yellowjackets, leading 10-0, were backed up at their own 4. But Poarch launched a perfect deep pass to Hicks, who was double-teamed. The pass hit Hicks in stride and the big receiver shook off a pair of tackles and raced the rest of the way to complete a 96-yard TD, tying the longest pass play in RCTC history.

“I didn’t think I was going to get it (a touchdown) at first,” Hicks said. “I got to the sidelines and pushed (a would-be tackler) off.”

A week ago Poarch and Hicks hooked up six times for 134 yards. Against Fond du Lac the pair teamed up three times for 138 yards.

“Me and Carey, we kind of have a little connection,” Hicks said. “We work hard in practice and he can read me and I can read him.”

Only Poarch’s injury — which isn’t serious — kept the pair from having a bigger day against the Thunder (1-3).

“We’re really clicking together,” Hicks said.

Poarch also hit Adan Hassan with a deep 69-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. The big start — RCTC led 31-0 early in the second quarter — stunned the Thunder, who entered the game with the top-ranked defense and offense in the Northern Division of the MCAC.

“We knew we had to pass to win and we did,” RCTC coach Brad LaPlante said.

Poarch finished 9-for-11 for 254 yards. Fond du Lac did a decent job holding the RCTC ground game in check as the Yellowjackets had 119 yards on 36 attempts.

While the RCTC offense was hitting big plays in the first half, the Yellowjackets defense was shutting down Fond du Lac.

The Thunder managed just 44 yards on 24 plays in the first half. James Howe, Josh Fenderson and Eric Fudge all had sacks for RCTC in the contest and Derek Skovbroten recovered a fumble. Fudge and Fenderson are both freshmen from Henry Ford High School in Detroit.

The Yellowjackets used a lot of reserves on defense in the second half. Fond du Lac moved the ball, collecting 250 yards, but managed just one TD and never were a threat to get back in the game.

“We want to play a lot of people when we get a lead and we were able to do that,” LaPlante said.

Backup quarterback Mike Walker will miss several more weeks with a leg injury and freshman Kramer Berg would like to redshirt.

So when Poarch left, freshman Bryan Neis of Chatfield was pressed into duty. Neis did guide the Yellowjackets on their final scoring drive, in the second quarter. He had a 29-yard punt return to set up the drive and added an 18-yard run on the first play, which Jerry Brewer Jr. later capped with a 2-yard TD run.

“I thought Bryan did a great job working with our first offense,” LaPlante said.

“It was frustrating,” Poarch said of RCTC going scoreless in the second half. “But at the same time they (the Thunder) held on and did what they had to do.”

RCTC was never threatened with the big league and the nation’s 15th-ranked team improved to 4-0 with the victory.

“Our kids played hard and got win No. 4. That’s what we wanted to do,” LaPlante said.

RCTC will host Central Lakes this Saturday at 6 p.m. in the team’s homecoming game.

RCTC 31, Fond du Lac 9

Scoring SUMMARY

Fond du Lac 0 0 7 2 — 9

RCTC 24 7 0 0 — 31

FIRST Quarter

RCTC — Michael Kusnierz 38 FG, 11:26.

Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards. Key play: Kyle Anderson 22 pass from Carey Poarch.

RCTC — Chris Hicks 29 pass from Carey Poarch (Kusnierz kick), 4:27.

Drive: 7 plays, 55 yards. Key play: Poarch 10 run on third-and-8.

RCTC — Hicks 96 pass from Poarch (Kusnierz kick), 2:26.

Drive: 1 plays, 96 yards. Key play: Hicks shook off a pair of tacklers near midfield after taking a perfectly thrown deep pass from Poarch.

RCTC — Adan Hassan 69 pass from Poarch (Kusnierz kick), 0:26.

Drive: 4 plays, 54 yards. Key play: Gregory Lacclair recovered an on-side kick for RCTC on the kickoff at the previous TD.

SECOND Quarter

RCTC — Jerry Brewer Jr. 2 run (Kusnierz kick), 11:51.

Drive: 4 plays, 45 yards. Key plays: Bryan Neis 29 punt return and 18 run; Brewer Jr. 21 run.

THIRD Quarter

FDL — Branden Peterson 42 pass from Dennis Martin (Derek Benson kick), 0:53.

Drive: 4 play, 62 yards. Key play: Jonah Parrot 12 pass from Martin.

FOURTH quarter

FDL — Safety, Sam Sanders tackled in end zone after recovering a teammate’s fumble, 2:03.

Key play: Fond du Lac sacked Neis for an 11-yard loss back to the RCTC 1 the play before the safety.

TEAM statistics

FDL RCTC

First downs 16 13

Total Net Yards 294 387

Rushes-yards 34-68 36-119

Passing yards 226 268

Comp-Att-Int 17-38-0 10-16-0

Punts-Ave. 6-30.7 6-31.0

Fumbles-Lost 3-1 1-0

Penalties-Yards 3-20 12-95

individual statistics

Rushing

Fond du Lac — Anthony McLean 7-38, Jordan Berglund 8-22, Robert Drayton-Wiley 6-18, Dennis Martin 5-14, Rumeal Carlton 7-(minus 12), Branden Peterson 1-(minus 12). RCTC — Will Christopherson 11-37, Jerry Brewer Jr. 4-34, Curtis Perry 8-27, Sam Sanders 6-18, Carey Poarch 2-2, Bryan Neis 5-2, Tony Allbrook 1-(minus 1).

Passing

Fond du Lac — Rumeal Carlton 5 completions, 13 attempts, 0 ints, 50 yards; Dennis Martin 12-25-0, 176 yards. RCTC — Carey Poarch 9-11-0, 254 yards, Bryan Neis 1-5-0, 14 yards.

Receiving

Fond du Lac — Branden Peterson 6-103, John Qualls 3-20, Jonah Parrot 2-43, Robert Drayton-Wiley 2-35, Douglas Woolfolk 2-7, Josh Fleming 1-11, Tyler Conito 1-7. RCTC — Chris Hick 3-138, Adan Hassan 2-86, Kevin Marclein 2-16, Kyle Anderson 1-22, Anthony Theisen 1-14, Alonzo Jackson 1-(minus 6).

Missed field goals: RCTC, Kusnierz 47 SH.

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JCGridiron.com Dirty 30 (September 14, 2009)
1. Blinn (TX) 2-0
2. El Camino (Calif.) 2-0
3. Palomar (Calif.) 2-0
4. City College of San Francisco (Calif.) 2-0
5. Navarro (TX) 2-0
6. Mt. SAC (Calif.) 2-0
7. Fullerton (Calif.) 2-0
8. Pearl River (MS) 3-0
9. Butte (Calif.) 2-0
10. Butler (KS) 2-1
11. Saddleback (Calif.) 2-0
12. East Mississippi 3-0
13. Sierra (Calif.) 2-0
14. Fort Scott (KS) 2-0
15. Trinity Valley (TX) 2-0
16. Santa Rosa (Calif.) 2-0
17. Grossmont (Calif.) 2-0
18. Arizona Western 2-0
19. Northwest Mississippi 2-1
20. Mississippi Gulf Coast 2-1
21. Hutchinson (KS) 2-0
22. Foothill (Calif.) 2-0
23. Tyler (TX) 2-0
24. Bakersfield (Calif.) 2-0
25. Pasadena City (Calif.) 1-1
26. Ellsworth (IA) 1-1
27. San Mateo (Calif.) 2-0
28. Grand Rapids (MI) 2-0
29. Cerritos (Calif.) 2-0
30. Snow (UT) 2-1
Others on the bubble: Santa Ana (Calif.) 2-0, Joliet (IL) 3-0, Allan Hancock (Calif.) 2-0, Orange Coast (Calif.) 2-0, Rochester (MN) 3-0, Iowa Central 1-1, Phoenix (AZ) 1-1, Santa Barbara (Calif.) 1-1, Canyons (Calif.) 1-1, Coahoma (MS) 3-0

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September 2009
RCTC Hosts a Rochester Youth Football Association Team for a recent practice 9-1-09

After a recent RCTC Football practice players and coaches spent time talking to players about how special it is to be a student-athlete and the responsibilities that come with it. Players also had the chance to work with youth players on drills, position work, small group instruction and giving the youth players feedback about their skills.

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Northersun:

http://www.northernsun.org/sports/football/releases/09_09_08_NSIC_FB_ReleaseNo3.pdf

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August 2009:

RCTC Ranked in the “Dirty 30” Junior College Rankings

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August 2009:

When describing this year’s football team, youth is the word that comes to mind. Of the 101 incoming players, 76 are freshmen; but the team feels good heading into the 2009 season.

“The team has shown some very good leadership,” said Head Coach Brad LaPlante, despite having only 25 returning sophomores this year.

The Yellowjackets were the Southern Division Tri-Champions last year after an 8-2 regular season. The team also earned a spot in the North Star Bowl, which was held at RCTC. They defeated Lackawanna Community College 19-13 in the bowl game.

This year, NJCAA.org ranked RCTC 16th in the nation despite their youth. “I think we have a national championship contending team with lots of athletes,” said Defensive Back Fred Ominde, one of the Yellowjackets few veterans this season. “It feels like a championship caliber team,” added Linebacker Joseph Pitts.

LaPlante feels confident that the defense and special teams will be RCTC’s strong points through the season. “I feel going into every game we are up 10-0,” said LaPlante.

The defensive secondary, with returning sophomores Joe Ellis, Jesse Okoi and Fred Ominde, will look to bolster the team’s defense. “The defense looks good, looks really fast,” said Ominde.

Special teams will be led by 1st Team All-American kicker Michael Kunsierz.

On the offensive side of the ball the Yellowjackets see veteran quarterback Carey Poarch, wide receiver Ryan Deloach and offensive lineman Tyler Stehr returning for their sophomore years. The freshmen class will be a big factor in how well the team plays offensively.

The team’s offensive philosophy is to minimize mistakes, move the ball, try to keep the defense off the field and not be pressured to score, said LaPlante.

The biggest challenge facing the Yellowjackets beside their inexperience will be getting all the players to buy into the system. “The system works, but you have to get them to buy into it,” said LaPlante.

The Yellowjackets 2009 season gets underway Friday, Aug. 28 against Northland. The team’s first home game will be Saturday, Sept. 5 against Vermillion.

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RCTC Football is #16 in NJCAA Pre-Season Poll!

http://www.njcaa.org/newsArticle.cfm?articleId=8898

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Kicker Mike Kusnierz is a 1st Team Pre-Season All-American!

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Congratulations to Yellowjacket Football Players for earning honors on the 2009 Spring Dean’s List:

Alex Benson
Joe Callahan
David Farrey
Mike Kusnierz
Cole Scholze
Tyler Stehr

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2009 Football Signees:

RCTC Players Sign National Letters of Intent:

Saturday February 8th brought some hype and excitement to the recruiting class of 2009 for the RCTC Yellowjackets. 10 Players came to campus to sign National Letters of Intent to play for RCTC. To date, RCTC has 35 commitments to play for a Nationally Recognized Program. Since 1968 the program has had only 1 losing year, the facilities keep getting better each year (new stadium on campus last year) and the program gets great coverage with the media. Local News Stations KTTC and KAAL were there to get interviews with RCTC signees and RCTC coaches about the signing. With the quality of this excellent recruiting class, the excitement builds for next year when the Jackets look to get back to the North Star Bowl where they won the inaugural game 19-13 over Lackawanna College.

Updated: January 17, 2012

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